Jessica Stasik

Dr. Keivan Stassun, Director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, shown here wearing his LLAP award necklace and performing the Vulcan Salute. The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation (FCAI) is proud to share that our director, Keivan Stassun, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to share that The Neurodiversity Alliance has opened applications for their paid internship program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applications opened on February 15, 2026, and we encourage students and alumni in the neurodiversity community to apply. The… Read More

Dave Thompson, project manager for A-SCENE and a member of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation team, is releasing Brainstorm: A Guide to Neurodivergent Talent and the Future of Work (Wiley, 2026)—a book that challenges how we think about workplaces, who belongs in them, and what it means… Read More

We’re thrilled to announce that applications are open for the 2026 Workplace Readiness and Preparation (WRaP) Program! This transformative three-week summer program is designed for students aged 15-20 on the autism spectrum who are ready to take the next step in their professional journey. About the Program: For seven years,… Read More

Dave Thompson received the award on behalf of the A-SCENE project. We are thrilled to announce that the A-SCENE initiative has been honored with the Excellence in Accessible STEM Leadership Award at the Accessibility in STEM Conference hosted by NC State University. This prestigious recognition celebrates efforts… Read More

Dave Thompson, Project Manager for A-SCENE at FCAI. The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is proud to announce that two of our exceptional staff members, Dr. Jessica Schonhut-Stasik and Dave Thompson, have been honored with the Nimoy-Knight Foundation’s ‘Live Long and Prosper’ Tribute Award for… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is thrilled to congratulate our internal partner, Neurodiverse Technologies, along with co-founders Jan Schlueter and Principal Investigator Dr. Nilanjan Sarkar, on receiving a $70,000 award through Vanderbilt’s Innovation Catalyst Fund. This significant funding will advance NAVIS (Advancement of Neurodivergent-Aware… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to share an outstanding opportunity for neurodivergent undergraduate students interested in engineering and technology careers. General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS), in partnership with BroadFutures, is now accepting applications for their Summer 2026 Neurodiversity Internship Program. This paid, 10-week internship is specifically… Read More

FCAI Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel In 2025, Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel, collaborated with AutismTN as a scholar, to support the creation of a webinar series “Exploring Autistic Life and Culture”. The “Exploring Autistic Life and Culture” webinar series represents a groundbreaking community dialogue project… Read More

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, is pleased to present a special Salon Series event featuring Dr. Jim Coleman, Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Event Details: Date: Monday, March 30th Time: Noon – 1pm CT Format: Hybrid Event… Read More